Eugene Robinson: The same-sex marriage stakes before the court

2:00 PM,
Mar. 26, 2013

Kris Perry (from left) and Sandy Stier of Berkeley, Calif., and Jeff Zarrillo and Paul Katami of Burbank, Calif., arrive March 25, 2013, to visit the National Archives in Washington, D.C., a day before their same-sex marriage case is heard before the Supreme Court.

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Eugene Robinson

Don't take anything for granted. The conservative activists on the Supreme Court may not be able to halt the inexorable shift toward acceptance of gay marriage, but we probably should expect them to try.

The two big cases being argued this week could turn out to be landmarks that confirm the nation's progress toward marriage equality -- or speed bumps that impede it. Either way, the destination is clear: Six out of 10 Americans approve of gay marriage, according to a Washington Post poll, including 80 percent of adults under 30. That looks less like a question than a decision.